


Man's best friend

by ShariDeschain



Series: I wish you would write a fic where meme [3]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Batman and Robin (Comics), Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics)
Genre: Family Fluff, Gen, Jason is a good brother only a little reluctant, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-14
Updated: 2017-08-14
Packaged: 2018-12-15 09:30:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 879
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11803266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShariDeschain/pseuds/ShariDeschain
Summary: Dick teaches Damian dangerous things and, as a consequence, Jason gets bullied into adopting a dog.





	Man's best friend

“I hope for both of your sakes that you have a goddamn good explanation for this”, Jason says slowly and with his best murderer voice, the same one that once upon a time made Gotham’s underground shake with fear.

But Nightwing only smiles at him, and Robin doesn’t even deign him with an answer.

“Hiya, Little Wing.”

“No. No _hiya_ and no _Little Wing_. What the hell are you doing in my house? And what the hell is that thing?”

Damian’s eyes land on him like knives while he clutches the thing closer to his chest. Which is kinda hilarious to see, since the thing’s as big as the kid is.

“This is Grayson”, Damian announces.

Jason glares from him to Dick - who’s currently very busy trying to hide a grin - and then to the thing again. It’s ugly, and wrinkly, and covered in old scars.

“I can see the resemblance”, he deadpans. “Now get both of them _and_ yourself out of here, brat.”

“He’s a Neapolitan Mastiff”, Damian continues.

“I don’t care.”

“We just boosted a drug ring”, Dick offers as an explanation. “He belonged to one of the dealers.”

“Dick”, Jason warns, because he’s got an idea of where this little charade is going and fuck no. “I. don’t. care.”

“Father said that we can’t have another dog”, Damian goes on like Jason had never spoken. “I’ve prepared a list of things you’ll need for his care and a temporary diet you can follow until the veterinary suggests something more adequate to his needs.”

“Damian. No”, Jason straight out refuses, looking right into the kid’s eyes in hope to make himself very clear.

“He needs a place to stay”, Damian insists anyway, because stubborn doesn’t even begin to cover that particular trait of his personality.

“No.”

He expects the kid to start screaming and throwing threats any seconds now, and he doesn’t care. He’s not going to be bullied in taking care of one of Damian’s pet. How they even dared to think they could pull a stunt like this on him is beyond Jason’s comprehension, and he’s oh so ready to give them a piece of his mind about it.

But Damian doesn’t yell at him. Doesn’t swear to maim him and everyone he’s ever cared about. Instead he looks up at him and… pouts. Because yes, that’s a pout, through and through. Jason is speechless for a good thirty seconds, just staring wide-eyed at this kid pouting at him like he’d kicked him or something, and then he comes back to his senses.

“You”, he spats, turning to glare at Dick. “Is this what you’ve been teaching him? Emotional manipulation? This is a new low even for you, Grayson.”

Dick doesn’t deny nor confirm the accusation, but his smile widen with proud.

Damian tugs at his sleeve to get his attention again, and Jason reluctantly looks back at him.

“Please”, Damian adds in a flat tone. And Jason knows, he _knows_ that they’re playing him. That Dick probably suggested this tactic in the first place, and that Damian’s just performing like he would on an undercover mission. He knows that this is nothing more than an organized frame-up at his expenses. And still.

“Look, kid”, Jason starts. “I don’t have the time to take care of a dog. Why don’t we, uh, find another place for it? A shelter, or something.”

“They said he’s _feral_ ”, Damian retorts, nose scrunching up in anger. “He’s not _feral_. He was abused. He only needs someone to take care of him. I’ll do it. I only need a place for him to stay.”

“Mmh”, Jason hums. He glances up at Dick, who just meaningfully stares back at him. The bastard. “Why not your favorite brother over there, then? Since you gave the dog his name and all, he could at least take care of it.”

Damian shakes his head.

“Father won’t let me go to Blüdhaven every night.”

“Tim?”

The kid scowls at him.

“Drake’s barely self-sufficient. I don’t trust him with another living being.”

“Harsh”, Jason comments, but he doesn’t disagree. “Maybe-”

“You’re the only feasible option, Todd”, Damian interrupts him. “Father also agrees on it.”

“Oh, Bruce agrees, uh?”

“Yes”, Damian confirms, apparently unaware of the fact that Bruce’s approval is hardly the right way to talk Jason into doing something. And still.

“I’m not cleaning after it”, Jason warns him.

“Of course.”

“And you’re gonna buy all the things on that little list of yours on your own.”

“Okay.”

“And I’m not calling it Grayson.”

Whatever Dick’s been teaching him, it’s not enough to hide Damian’s true nature. The nice and polite little boy’s gone in less than a blink of an eye, replaced by the scowling, mean little demon Jason’s (not) so fond of.

“Yes, you are”, Damian retorts in a hiss. “Because that’s _his_ name.”

Jason scoffs and relents without a fight. It’s not a bad name, all things considered. He reaches out to scratch the dog’s head and earns himself an enthusiast lick for his trouble. Which is kinda gross. But out of the corner of his eye he catches Damian smiling at the motion, and well, Jason supposes there are worst things on this earth than dog saliva and happy little brothers.

**Author's Note:**

> \- Yes, Damian expressing his emotions via pets is one of my favorite aesthetics.  
> \- Written for the "I wish you would write a fic where..." meme on tumblr. The prompt was [I wish you would write a fic where the batfam gets Jason the dog we all know he needs](https://unavenged-robin.tumblr.com/post/164071561488/i-wish-you-would-write-a-fix-where-the-batfam-gets). I kind of already promised I'll turn this into a series because I'm partial to siblings bonding over dogs, but as usual, I have no idea of when I'll able to write more.


End file.
